George Yang

George is a freelance writer specializing in video games and other entertainment.

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My longform interviews and reporting can be found here:

But Why Tho? •

Former Diablo Devs Discuss Arkheron's Greek Myth-Inspired Underworld And More

Last year, Bonfire Studios unveiled its debut game, Arkheron, a dark fantasy adventure that looks strikingly similar to modern Diablo. Of course, that’s not a coincidence. Bonfire Studios is made up of Blizzard veterans, including founder Rob Pardo, who was the CCO of Blizzard until 2014.

Arkheron now conducts weekly playtests and is on its way to becoming a game you should definitely keep your eye on. I went hands-on with Arkheron, and it’s got some interesting features that separate it from its inspirations. I also spoke with Pardo about Arkheron’s dark aesthetics, gameplay evolution, and its future business plans.
Crunchyroll •

Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen's Naoto Oyama and Kento Kinoshita on Player Feedback and What to Expect From the Expansion

Fans have come to expect Dragon’s Dogma 2 to receive an expansion after the first game had gotten one, called Dark Arisen. Capcom finally delivered, two years after Dragon’s Dogma 2’s initial release in March 2024. Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen features a new story, region, and expanded gameplay mechanics that’ll have players invest even more time into the dense RPG.

I spoke with producer Naoto Oyama and game director Kento Kinoshita about their inspiration behind the new additions to Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen and developing a Switch 2 version of the game.
MMORPG.com •

Preview: Roco Kingdom is a Comfy Mix Between Pokemon and Genshin Impact

Game developers have tried to recapture the global phenomenon that is Pokémon. Some franchises like Digimon, Ni No Kuni, and Persona have put their own spin on the creature-collecting genre, while others have worn their inspirations on their sleeves more often. Palworld, anyone?

In fact, publisher Tencent and developer Morefun Studios have already jumped into the fray with Roco Kingdom! The series is hugely popular in China and has been around since 2010.
Crunchyroll •

Beast of Reincarnation Director Kota Furushima on Developing Worlds, Companions and Hair

Game Freak is best known for its worldwide smash-hit, Pokémon. However, the developer has been working with other publishers like Sega and Rising Star Games to release other titles like 2015’s Tembo the Badass Elephant and 2019’s Giga Wrecker Alt. These were departures from the turn-based monster-collecting games that Game Freak worked on, as they were both platformers — they were steps toward Game Freak’s next evolution.

Game Freak has stepped up to the plate with its most ambitious project yet, Beast of Reincarnation. It follows a young girl named Emma as she travels through a post-apocalyptic Japan that’s been ravaged by a deadly blight. Koo, her dog companion, walks alongside her as she uncovers the dark secrets behind humanity’s destruction.

I spoke with game director Kota Furushima about working on Beast of Reincarnation’s real-time action battle system, the realistic art direction compared to Game Freak’s past animation style, and the studio’s history of designing monsters.
Crunchyroll •

Danganronpa 2x2 Writer Kazutaka Kodaka and Producer Shohei Sakakibara on Developing the Remake

The Danganronpa series has cultivated a passionate fan following since the series landed in 2010. The concept of seeing talented kids forced into a death game really enraptured us. With themes of hope, betrayal, and truth, Danganronpa kept us sticking through the many sequels, spin-offs, anime adaptations, and light novels that expanded the universe’s lore over the years.

Now, developer Spike Chunsoft is revisiting the series with Danganronpa 2x2, a retelling of the second game, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, complete with a brand new alternative storyline called Slayhem that’s even longer than the original.
Anime News Network •

Sonic the Hedgehog Producer on Celebrating Game's 35th Anniversary and the Future of the Series

Sonic the Hedgehog is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. The Blue Blur has been an iconic gaming staple since the beginning. To this day, Sonic continues to draw in both old and new audiences with SEGA's ever-expanding lineup of games, as well as efforts outside of them, such as the Sonic the Hedgehog movies. SEGA also launched the Switch 2 version of Sonic Frontiers, bringing its critically acclaimed open-zone game to Nintendo's latest handheld.
Kotaku •

Echoes Of Aincrad Is A RPG Changeup For Sword Art Online Fans

It’s no surprise that Sword Art Online fans think that the first arc, Aincrad, is the best. After all, if you ask fans of any show or game what their favorite season or entry is, it’s most likely the first one. 13 years after the release of the first Sword Art Online video game, Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment, the developers over at Bandai Namco are creating an action RPG that focuses on the Aincrad arc, aptly called Echoes of Aincrad. “Throughout the games of Sword Art Online, we’ve never re...
Fangoria •

PHASMOPHOBIA Map Rework Coming This Summer With 1.0 Launching Next Year

Phasmophobia is one of the biggest success stories in multiplayer horror games. To this day, it's still wildly popular, with players finding the investigative and paranormal gameplay loop fun and engaging. Almost 6 years since its early access launch in 2020, it’s ready to launch into its 1.0 version in 2027. Once a solo dev effort by CEO Daniel Knight, he expanded Kinetic Studios to grow the game with future content and updates.
To save time, Phasmophobia was built with stock assets from the Un...
Fangoria •

ALIEN: ISOLATION 2 Is A Scary Sequel That Doubles Down On Dread

It’s been over a decade since Alien: Isolation came out and scared the hell out of us. While it initially received polarized reception, it has since become more popular as the Aliens franchise has grown through video games spanning a range of genres. You have a tactics-focused game through Aliens: Dark Descent, an action-heavy shooter with Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and even virtual reality with Alien: Rogue Incursion.
Crunchyroll •

Bringing Fans Together Across the World: A Conversation With Gundam Rogue Orbit Producers Yuya Tomiyama and Shinya Satake

Bandai Namco is positioning Gundam Rogue Orbit as a narrative-driven and single-player adventure, one that’s going to bring in new players and make existing ones excited. It’s the most cinematic Gundam video game ever.

Not much is known about Gundam Rogue Orbit at the moment, but I sat down with main producer Yuya Tomiyama and chief producer Shinya Satake to see what the game is all about, the role of mobile suits in this new universe, and how they’re going for worldwide mass appeal.
Space •

Gears of War E-Day developer The Coalition explains why the prequel was 'just too good to pass up'

It's been 12 years since The Coalition took the reins of the Gears of War franchise. After Microsoft acquired the rights to the series from Epic Games in 2014, the team was formed and tasked with remastering the original Gears of War in 2015.

It’s also been a decade since the studio’s first original title, Gears of War 4, and seven years since the studio's last game, Gears 5. Fans were eagerly awaiting the continuation of this story, but instead, The Coalition sought Gears of War: E-Day as a return to the gritty roots of the series. But why?
Crunchyroll •

Creating the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Switch 2 and Xbox Ports

With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, an increasing number of game developers are porting their more demanding games over to the console handheld hybrid system. It finally has enough horsepower to run them well. One of the shining examples is the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy project, including the first game from 2020 and its 2024 follow-up, Rebirth.

Additionally, following a period of PlayStation exclusivity, both games are now on Xbox too. Final Fantasy VII Remake launched for Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S back in January, while Rebirth is set to launch on June 3 for both platforms.

I spoke with Square Enix director Naoki Hamaguchi about the challenges of porting the games to Switch 2 and Xbox, as well as what players should expect with the third and final installment of the Final Fantasy VII remake series.
Crunchyroll •

OPUS: Prism Peak and the Art of Looking Closely

SIGONO is an independent studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. It’s best known for the OPUS series, which is an anthology of games composed of different narrative-driven games. They often touch on emotional themes such as belonging, love, and finding your place in the world.

Games in the OPUS series usually have a sci-fi setting, involving space, whether it’s traveling through it like in OPUS: Echoes of Starsong, or trying to find Earth using a telescope like in OPUS: The Day We Found Earth.

However, the latest game in the series, OPUS: Prism Peak, takes a different approach. It adopts a magical fantasy setting instead, and focuses on the whimsy of photography. I spoke with SIGONO co-founder and producer Brian Lee about the game’s anime inspirations, gameplay mechanics, and its various themes.
NPR •

How South Asian representation in gaming is growing

East Asian game developers have long been prominent in the industry — take Japanese exports such as Nintendo's Pokémon. In recent years, Chinese games like Genshin Impact and Black Myth: Wukong have had worldwide success. And more recently, Korea has hit its stride with games such as Crimson Desert, Lies of P and Stellar Blade.

Over the past decade, indie games from South Asian studios have obtained more modest success overseas, including the roguelite Asura from India-based Ogre Head Studio and the action adventure Raji: An Ancient Epic from Nodding Head Games, also based in India.
Crunchyroll •

Orbitals is a Video Game Love Letter to Retro ‘80s and ‘90s Anime

Orbitals is a co-op adventure game that follows two young space explorers named Maki and Omura as they go on an intergalactic adventure to save their home. Its art direction is inspired by 1980s and ‘90s anime, emphasizing hand drawn animations and thick lines. It’s a striking visual style that helps it stand out amongst other anime-inspired games. Orbitals is also a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive and is set to launch later in 2026.

I sat down with Orbitals developer Shapefarm to play one hour of the game, as well as speak with the studio about its artistic process, how it’s making its colorful debut with an original IP, and its stance on how modern technology impacts development.
MMORPG.com •

Interview: Double Fine's Kiln Feels Surprisingly Like A MOBA

Double Fine Productions has always been a studio creating odd games. It’s best known for Psychonauts, an excellent platformer that’s surprisingly one of the studio’s more straightforward games. Since then, Double Fine has created some weirdly charming adventures like Costume Quest, Massive Chalice, and Rad. Last year’s Keeper was the studio’s most abstract game yet, following a walking lighthouse and a bird as they travel through a surrealist post-apocalyptic environment. It also featured no spoken dialogue, instead using visual indicators to convey emotion and gameplay.
Crunchyroll •

The Team Behind Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection on How the New Game Came to Be

The Monster Hunter Stories series has been a wonderful spin-off of the mainline Monster Hunter adventures. Instead of real-time action, Monster Hunter Stories takes a more traditional Japanese RPG route with a Pokemon-style collectathon angle that rivals even Nintendo’s iconic franchise. Additionally, it opts for a turn-based battle system instead of real-time action, further establishing its own identity from the main games.
Crunchyroll •

The Team Behind Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake on What to Expect From the Game

The Fatal Frame franchise has seen a resurgence lately with recent remasters of its fourth and fifth entries, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.

However, this time around Koei Tecmo has opted to give the arguably best entry in the series, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, the full remake treatment. With overhauled visuals, more intense combat, and new content, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake seeks to take the series into the modern age. It’s one of the most unique Japanese horror franchises out there, and Koei Tecmo is hoping this remake will bring in some new fans.
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